Murder the Mountains

Red Fang | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 12, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Relapse
• ASIN: B004KO8036
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,266 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2011 album from the kick-ass heavy rock quartet. On Murder The Mountains, Red Fang wave a middle finger at fashion and bet the proverbial house on substance over style. The incredible "Wires", "Number Thirteen", "Hank Is Dead", and "The Undertow" are just a few of an onslaught of highlights on this front-to-back set of great f%$king songs.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Red Fang - Murder The Mountains October 13, 2011

By Gentlegiantprog TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Audio CD

2011's Murder The Mountains is the second full-length album from Red Fang. It is somewhat of a grower and may take a few listens to fully get into, as while the music is all very strong and interesting, it doesn't jump out at you as immediately as tracks from their previous album like `Prehistoric Dog,' did, for example, but stick with it and you'll be rewarded for your patience.

While reading a list of other bands in relation to one band can often be annoying; Red Fang are often described as being suitable for fans of bands like Mastodon, Baroness, Clutch, Melvins, The Sword, Fu Manchu and Queens Of The Stone Age and this does a good job not only of describing which end of the musical spectrum they sit on, but also the fact that the band flit psychotically between styles. Red Fang are compared to all the aforementioned artists seriously and not just because of touring partnerships or basic genre comparisons.

For example, the opening track `Malverde,' is tom-based with complex instrumentation and sludgey vocals reminiscent of Baroness and Early Mastodon but the very next track `Wires,' is a bouncy, simplistic good time rock and roll number with clean and melodic vocals reminiscent of QOTSA, at least until the atmospheric proggy build up in the middle, at which point things change once more into a grand and spacey direction reminiscent of modern Mastodon.

In the space between two songs, or even half a song Red Fang completely shift direction and cover all sorts of ground along the Stoner/Sludge/Progressive-Sludge areas of the genre, while still maintaining an original identity. Their sound can be dark, dense and brooding but it can also be bright, happy and bouncy.

Album highlights include the speedy and impressive `Painted Parade,' the melodic Stoner-Rock track `Number Thirteen,' as well as `Dirt Wizard' and the aforementioned `Wires.'

Overall; Murder The Mountains is a good record from Red Fang, while not exactly being a whirlwind of originality, they are musically competent and deliver this sort of music very well. Though it has been much said before, if you enjoy the sort of music that the aforementioned bands make, then you should give Red Fang a try; they use the same sorts of scales, play the same sorts of notes and arrange music in the same sorts of ways that those bands do.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rob Zombie?? Not so much.... July 14, 2011

By Chuck Norrison

Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase

Mastodon? Yes. Melvins? Very much so. If you like the Melvins, Mastodon, Big Business, Dozer, Kylesa... rock in general?!! then this album is for you! Which it is for me. This album is nothing like their first. Not a bad thing whatsoever! I hate repetition myself. While their sound is very much still Red Fang, this one is totally different from the first. 5+ stars!! My favorite band right now, buy it!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Brew November 22, 2011

By Francis

Format:Audio CD

Like others have noted, it's both useful and easy to compare Red Fang to other bands, because they're so diverse from song to song. It is difficult to describe their "sound" because while it's all hard rock, the nuances therein vary considerably among the tracks. They've got two lead singers and obviously are in mastery of several song writing styles. I was only familiar with the songs Prehistoric Dog and Wires from the videos, but picked up this record and the self titled debut after being totally blown away by Red Fang's live show opening up for Mastodon. Murder the Mountains contains an obvious influence from Queens of the Stone Age, Melvins, Alice in Chains, Kyuss, Nirvana and their tour mates Mastodon (several of these bands, QOTSA, Mastodon, and Melvins in particular, have made careers of deploying many styles and branching out into any genre they choose while retaining a core sound, so the comparison works on multiple levels). The first track Malverde, with its plodding percussion and quirky sludge riffs is the closest thing I've heard to vintage Stoner Witch/Stag era Melvins...perhaps ever (guitarist/vocalist Maurice Giles has got the King Buzzo voice completely nailed). And that's quite a compliment. The next song, Wires (with an astonishingly great music video, btw), sounds like it could be a different band - it's a catchy hard rock number with vivid lyrics and a spooky instrumental riff section that immediately brings to mind Lullabies to Paralyze era QOTSA (might I also add that this band is the best I've ever heard at aping Josh Homme's signature repetitive "robot rock" riffs...check out the verses to songs like Wires and Prehistoric Dog and Number Thirteen to see what I mean). Two songs in and the record already sounds like a mix tape from heavy metal heaven. And on and on it continues from there, tackling everything from doom to hardcore punk, and all of it featuring catchy riffs and catchier choruses. After a few days of listening I can honestly say I'm in love with this record. So few bands mix it up stylistically like this because so few bands have the confidence, vision, and talent to do so. Red Fang is the rare band that can pull it off. I didn't think the records could possibly live up to their amazing videos, but I'm happy to report that they do. The debut record is great, and Murder The Mountains, 2011's offering, is one of the absolute best of the year. Highest possible recommendation.